This disclosure relates generally to methods and systems for fault clearance visualization in a print production device, and more particularly to a system and method for the visualization of print production faults with ordered fault clearance, including sequential visualization updates as each fault is resolved.
Print production machines may be subject to various faults which impact system operation. System faults may include, among other things, a jam in a paper path or a disabled component, such as an empty toner housing. The fault condition may result in immediate shutdown of the print device, depending upon the severity of the fault. Several approaches are currently in use to indicate the presence of a fault to the operator. In one approach, a graphical representation of the device may be displayed to the user. Parts of the device that are affected by the fault or paper jam are highlighted in some manner, for example with icons or color, etc. The device operator can view the representation to gain an understanding of which device areas require attention. However, this approach provides no indication of the order in which the faults are to be cleared. Often, if faults are not cleared in a particular order, the potential increases for other problems to occur, such as paper being sheared between two device modules, etc.
Alternatively, as a fault occurs, the user interface may display the detailed clearance instructions for that fault. If more than one fault occurs, the detailed instructions are displayed in succession leading the user through the best order to clear the faults, a process which is referred to as “Pacing”. The difficulty with this approach is that the operator must view each set of detailed instructions to learn which areas are affected. Thus, a skilled operator's productivity is reduced due to the “Pacing” of the detailed fault instructions. The operator never gains a global sense of every area that is affected.
All U.S. patents and published U.S. patent applications cited herein are fully incorporated by reference. The following patents or publications are noted:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,786,041 to Acquaviva et al. (“Document Handler Jam Clearance and Job Recovery System”) describes a jam clearance and job recovery system that determines whether a document has resulted in a jam being present in a first, second, or third document path jam zone, corresponding to the three distributed drive zones. A preliminary job recovery operation is attempted in which the document feeding zones are independently operated to provide unjammed documents in the third jam zone to the stacking tray or feed unjammed documents in the first jam zone to the platen, so that documents are directed to be operator removed from no more than one zone. The operator is instructed to place the removed documents either face up in the stacking tray or face down in the separate document input, depending on the jam detection position, document removal position, and copier operating condition.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,449 to Gauronski et al. (“Fault Clearance and Recovery in an Electronic Reprographic System”) teaches a fault clearance and recovery operation in an electronic reprographic system that includes storing clearance and recovery instruction for specific system faults in memory and accessing and displaying the stored instructions upon detection of a fault occurrence. Faults having similar recovery features are classified into buckets to facilitate the clearance and recovery operations.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,490,089 to Smith et al. (“Interactive User Support System and Method Using Sensors and Machine Knowledge”) describes an interactive user support system for a document processing system that controls the operation of the machine using an internally stored knowledge base derived from information and rules provided by experts in the field. Sensors monitor the operation of the machine and various user actions. The system determines whether the user needs help by comparing the operation of the machine with the information and rules in the knowledge base and interrupts the user with an offer to provide assistance. The user is not interrupted if the user is performing the proper steps to correct a problem or perform a specific job. Additionally, the user may query the system for assistance or direction.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,353,899 to Martin et al. (“Fault Management System for a Multifunctional Printing Machine”) teaches a fault management system having a first document processing service for processing a first type of job and a second document processing service for processing a second type of job. A graphical user interface displays the attribute values for each job type in separate user interface dialogs. Fault related information for the first and second job types are stored in memory with their associated user interface dialogs and attribute values. The system causes the user interface to display the fault related information corresponding to the dialog being accessed.
The disclosed embodiments provide examples of improved solutions to the problems noted in the above Background discussion and the art cited therein. There is shown in these examples an improved method for ordered fault clearance visualization and resolution in a computer controlled print production device having a graphical user interface. The method includes receiving data from the print production device operational sensors indicating a possible fault event. Fault analysis is performed to determine whether faults have occurred and to identify the location and type for each fault, based on the data and fault definitions. Identified faults are prioritized, with each fault assigned a unique priority and the order in which the faults are to be cleared is developed. A visualization of the print production device is presented on the graphical user interface, with graphical cues superimposed upon the visualization of the print production device to indicate the fault order, such that a single view presents all identified faults in the system and the fault order in which they should be cleared. The visualization is updated as each said fault is cleared until a no fault state is achieved.
In an alternate embodiment there is disclosed a system for ordered fault clearance visualization and resolution in a computer controlled print production device having a graphical user interface. The system receives sensor data indicating a possible fault event and performs fault analysis to determine the number of faults and the fault types, which are identified from the sensor data and fault definitions. The identified faults are assigned a unique priority and placed in a prioritized order in which they are to be cleared. The system presents a visualization of the print production device on the graphical user interface, utilizing graphical cues superimposed upon the visualization of the print production device to indicate the fault order. The visualization provides a single view of all the identified faults in the system and the fault order in which they should be cleared. As each fault is cleared, the visualization is updated until a no fault state is achieved.
In yet another embodiment there is disclosed a computer-readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied in the medium which, when the program code is executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform method steps for ordered fault clearance visualization and resolution in a computer controlled print production device having a graphical user interface. The method includes receiving data from the print production device operational sensors indicating a possible fault event. Fault analysis is performed to determine whether faults have occurred and to identify the location and type for each fault, based on the data and fault definitions. Identified faults are prioritized, with each fault assigned a unique priority and the order in which the faults are to be cleared is developed. A visualization of the print production device is presented on the graphical user interface, with graphical cues superimposed upon the visualization of the print production device to indicate the fault order, such that a single view presents all identified faults in the system and the fault order in which they should be cleared. The visualization is updated as each said fault is cleared until a no fault state is achieved.